Matariki | How to Celebrate

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A resource shared by

Dio Comms Team

Published on

June 24, 2021

Matariki is a celebration for all New Zealanders.

It is a time to celebrate whānau and all the precious moments. A time to huddle together and stay warm. We share kai, we share stories, we farewell our loved ones that have gone before us and give thanks for the year ahead.

Matariki is not one specific day it is a season heralded by the rise of the Matariki cluster in the eastern sky in winter. The dates that iwi and hāpu use to mark the rise is dependent on where they are in the country and which particular stars in the cluster they give honour to.

How to celebrate Matariki at home

Me pēhea te whakanui i a Matariki i te kāinga

The star cluster Matariki appears in our skies in the month of Pipiri (June–July), marking the start of the Māori New Year. This is the coldest time of the year and Pipiri means ‘to draw close’.

It’s a time to come together with your friends, whānau, and communities. It’s about eating, reflecting, having fun, and looking forward to the year ahead.

The Sisters of Mercy in Aotearoa have created a wonderful resource that links Matariki to our faith, in particular to our call to care for our common home. You can view this resource here.

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It is a time to celebrate whānau and all the precious moments. A time to huddle together and stay warm. We share kai, we share stories, we farewell our loved ones that have gone before us and give thanks for the year ahead.

Five ways to celebrate Matariki

1. A mid-winter feast

Traditionally, Matariki is a time to share kai from the pātaka, the storehouse, harvested from past seasons. It’s too cold for planting, so it’s a time to relax, eat, and enjoy good company.

Make Matariki a time when the whole family gets together to feast and give thanks. It may be a nice opportunity to explore traditional Māori food like hangi and rewena, or Māori bread. Star-shaped sugar cookies, like these ones, might be a nice dessert.

2. A New Harvest

Matariki is a time to think about crops – to be grateful for last year’s harvest and prepare for the next. You might not be planting a whole paddock of kumara, but simply preparing some dirt in your backyard or planter box on the deck, ready to grow a few vegetables, is a meaningful family project at this time of year.

3. Tree Planting

Everyone benefits when someone plants a tree. Make it a tradition to plant a tree as a family each Matariki – whether at your own home or somewhere in your local community. You might find there’s a tree planting project happening in your community that your family could support.

4. Under the Stars

Head out in the dark wrapped up warm to see the stars. This is an exciting and memorable tradition to embrace. The seven stars of Matariki can be seen with the naked eye, if you know where to look!

Click here for a great video from Te Papa showing how to find the Matariki star cluster. Depending on where you are in Aotearoa, you may see different parts of the cluster.

Different iwi mark this time of year in different ways and at different times depending on what they can see.

Matariki Star Facts

5. A time to reflect

Matariki is a time for reflection and lighting candles is a nice way to remember loved ones who may have passed away.

Matariki is also a time to look forward to the future, so you might want to spend some time at your family feast sharing hopes and goals for the coming year, even writing them down if you are one of those organised and motivated goal-setting families!

Attend a local Matariki event.

Come together with your community for a Matariki ritual that uses all the ideas above: Fire and warmth, food, reflection, hopes and dreams, stories, nature, and games.

Below are a selection of those organised around the Diocese of Palmerston North. There may be others in your own region, see what you can find out!